FAQ for Non-Members

Don't the dogs fight?  Although dog fights do sometimes happen at a dog park, they are uncommon.  Dogs that seem dog-aggressive in their own yards often get along fine with other dogs in a dog park situation.  There are probably several factors contributing to this:  (a) the dog park is neutral territory; there is nothing to defend; (b) the dogs at the dog park keep changing, so there isn't time for a "pack" to form; (c) dogs that are off-leash are much less likely to be aggressive than leashed dogs; (d) a large park such as Dog Wood Park of Jacksonville tends to inhibit aggressiveness (the dog knows there is lots of room to get away if need be).

I'm not sure how my dog will react to being around the other dogs.  Is it okay if I leave him on his leash until I know if he is going to be okay?     If you have reason to believe your dog will be seriously aggressive toward other dogs even in a large neutral territory, do not bring your dog to the park.   Bringing a dog-aggressive dog and keeping it on a leash is not acceptable--other friendly dogs will repeatedly approach your dog, and the situation will not be pleasant for them.  Dog Wood Park of Jacksonville is a park for nice dogs only.  If you are not sure how your dog will act, but have no reason to believe he will attack other dogs in a neutral territory, your dog will more than likely be fine, provided you let him off his leash.  We have seen time and time again a seemingly aggressive dog brought into the park on a leash who became a very nice dog once he was unleashed.  Leashed dogs tend to feel intimidated by dogs running around off-leash--the leashed dog is not on equal footing with these dogs.  The leashed dog, knowing he can't run away if need be, tends to act aggressive in order to "scare" off the unleashed dogs.   And the leashed dog may feel protective of his owner on the other end of the leash.   We recommend that unless you have reason to believe your dog is a danger to other dogs (and if that is the case he shouldn't be at a dog park at all), you let your dog off his leash as soon as he enters the park.  If there is a problem you can immediately leash him.  Or, drop his leash and let him run around a little bit with the leash still on; that way you can more easily catch him if need be.

What's the best way to break up a dog fight should one occur?   There is no absolutely safe way to break up a dog fight, but one of the methods recommended by the experts is for each owner to grab his/her dog by the tail or hindquarters and pull the dog away from the other dog, hold on to your dog's hindquarters until he has calmed down, and then leash your dog and take him home.  Under no circumstances should you ever break up a dog fight by grabbing a dog's collar or anything near the biting end of the dog!

Do I need to worry about my dog getting fleas at the park?   Dog Wood Park of Jacksonville management does not expect to have a problem with fleas at the park. The park covers a large area (25 fenced acres) and much of it is in the sun; these conditions are not conducive to flea reproduction.  Also, one would guess that anyone who cares enough about their dog to buy him/her a membership in a dog country club will use one of the modern flea products such as Frontline or Advantage to make sure their dog is flea-free. 

Do I need to worry about my dog getting a disease at the park?   When someone signs a membership application one of the rules they are agreeing to is to not bring their dog to the park if it is sick.  Another rule they are agreeing to follow is to keep their dog up-to-date on its shots.  Although the only kind of vaccination that is verified by the park is rabies, one would hope that anyone who would buy their dog a membership in a country club would also make sure their dog is protected by its vaccinations.  But even if someone does not keep their dog up-to-date on parvo/distemper shots, your dog is protected as long as you keep his shots up to date.

At what age can a puppy be brought to the park? We want puppies to be at least 12 weeks of age before using the park, otherwise we leave that decision up to you and your vet, because there are two ways to view this.  It is very important for puppies to be socialized around other people and other dogs during their first few months of life--so you want your pup to get as much exposure to strange, new things as possible, but at the same time, it takes time for a puppy to build up immunity to diseases such as parvo and distemper, and some vets recommend that one wait a month or two after the pup has received all its shots before letting it be around a lot of other dogs. 

My kids love dogs--why can children under 4 feet in height only use the Kids N Dogs area?    We'd love to be able to safely let children visit the main part of the park, but unfortunately small children are at greater risk of being injured at a dog park than are older children and adults.  A small child is more likely to be at a dog's face level, and more likely to be bitten in the face if a bite occurs.  Young children often run instead of walk, and scream instead of talk--these actions can cause some dogs to get overly excited.  Young children sometimes have not learned that not all dogs like to be petted.  Groups of large fast-running dogs can easily knock a small child down.   While we at Dog Wood Park of Jacksonville firmly believe that kids need to learn proper behavior with dogs, we feel that doing so in an area with so many large dogs is not in the child's best interest. Note: we do allow strollers in the park and carried babies in the main part of the park, but we caustion those with strollers to be extremely careful to make sure the child does not reach out and grab a nearby dog.

I was at the park the other day and one of other dogs kept bothering my dog.   The dog's owner saw what was going on but did nothing.  What should I do if this happens again?  There is a wide range in dog play styles:   some dogs play rough, growling and snapping as they play; some include humping behavior in their repertoire; some dogs, especially energetic puppies between 6 and 12 months of age, don't seem to know when to stop.  One of the things dogs learn at a dog park is that different dogs play differently.  Sometimes owners who are not used to these different play styles mistake play aggression for true aggression.  If the other dog is showing true aggression toward your dog remove your dog from the area and notify park staff of the situation.  Aggressive dogs (dogs who attack other dogs with the intent to harm them) and bullies are not welcome at Dog Wood Park of Jacksonville.  If the other dog is simply playing in a style that your dog is uncomfortable with, you have several options:  (1) move your dog to another part of the park, (2) give your dog a chance to see if he can figure out how to handle the situation himself--often times dogs are able to work these things out themselves, (3) talk with the dog's owner and explain that your dog is uncomfortable with their dog's behavior; this third option will be necessary if you move to another area and the offending dog follows you.  One would hope that the owner of a dog who is making your dog uncomfortable would do something to end the situation, but unfortunately not everyone understands dog behavior well enough to pick up on when a dog is scared, intimidated or really annoyed; you may need to explain to the offending dog's owner that your dog is not enjoying their dog's attentions.